Parental Involvement

Introduction

  • Our school is a community where pupils, parents and teachers collaborate and work in partnership for our children. When parents decide to send their child to our school they are entering a very important relationship. "Partnership is a working relationship that is characterised by a shared sense of purpose, mutual respect and a willingness to negotiate." Gillian Pugh, Working Towards Partnership in the Early Years.
  • In keeping with the principles of multi-denominational education, our school is democratically run through management committees that are democratically elected - the Board of Management and the Patron Association - and the involvement of all parents is sought and encouraged.
  • A high level of parental involvement is a feature of our school and requires a commitment from parents.
  • Parents as a group have a range of talents, abilities and skills that have the potential to enrich and extend the educational opportunities provided for the children. It is our policy to identify parents with specific skills and to invite those parents to share their skills with us at a school and a class level.
  • Respect for the professional role of the teacher and the statutory responsibilities of the Principal, Patron and the Board of Management is always an important consideration in relation to the above.

Parents are invited to become involved in the school in many ways and at many levels, for example:

  • Serving on school bodies (Board of Management, Patron Association, Parent Association, Educate Together).
  • Fundraising.
  • Policy making, e.g. Code of Discipline; Relationships and Sexuality Education; Ethics Programme; Healthy Eating.
  • In the classroom, by agreement with the teacher.

Benefits of Parental Involvement

  • Children benefit from greater diversity in the classroom.
  • Children profit from more one-to-one attention.
  • Parental skills may support and complement work already taking place.
  • Parental involvement actively supports and encourages the child's learning.
  • A wide range of activity is facilitated. This can be interesting and fun, and can lead to a broader and more holistic education.
  • It promotes 'good parent/teacher relationships and a better level of understanding between home and school' (National Parents' Council).
  • It enhances communication, trust and respect between parents and teachers.
  • Parents can learn about the curriculum.
  • Parental involvement allows children to see that school, as a learning environment, is an extension of home and therefore fosters the idea of the 'school family.'
  • Parental skills can contribute to the smooth running and development of the school.
  • Parental involvement provides the opportunity of making lifelong friends.

How to Get Involved

  • Parents are, first of all, invited to consider their skills, interests and time available, and communicate this information to the class teacher, the principal and/or to the PA.
  • Parents can consult with the class teacher about hobbies, skills or interests they can share with the class bearing in mind that needs change from year to year.
  • Parents can work in conjunction with the teachers in a planned and co-ordinated way. For example, they could help with library and shared reading book exchange, assist at art times, work with the children at various curricular activities and lend a welcome hand in many other areas which can be identified with the teacher.
  • Ongoing projects over a number of weeks may enhance and enrich the work the children are involved with in the classroom: parents are encouraged to discuss any ideas they may have with the teacher.
  • Parents can help with swimming, tours and trips, organising the school library, art and P.E. resources, and may also like to make costumes for school concerts.
  • Parents are currently involved in many after-school activities such as chess and visual arts and would be particularly welcome to help with project work.
  • There are many opportunities for parental involvement e.g. ideas for Visual Arts week, cultural exchanges and discussion.

Promoting Partnership and Participation

Our school is committed to working in a democratic way that embraces input from parents to enable the highest level of partnership and participation.This is achieved by inviting parents to get involved in the Parent Association and the following groups:

The Board of Management

The Board of Management is paid a series of grants by the state to facilitate the running of the school. A meeting will be held to nominate two parent candidates to go onto the Board of Management. The method of election of parent candidates will be determined in consultation with the parent candidates on the outgoing Board and the Parent Association. The meeting to hold an election to select such candidates will be notified to all parents/guardians with 10 days notice in advance.

When a vacancy occurs among parents' candidates on the Board, it will be filled, having consulted with the Parent Association, by:

(a) The co-option of the person who got the highest number of votes from those allotted in the last election.

or

(b) By a by-election to select the candidate.

Parents are notified of the on-going work of the Board of Management when a Board of Management Report (excluding all items of a confidential nature) is also displayed on a notice board in the school.

The Board of Management which came into existence in December 2007 has a four year term. Members of the BOM include:

  • Ciara Byrne
  • Anne Fitzgerald
  • Francis Fullen
  • Dan Healy
  • Fergal O’Connell
  • Sinead O’Kane
  • Síle Larkin
  • Ruth Murphy

The Parent Association

The Parent Association is an open forum that all parents can join. It organises essential school activities such as the After School activities programme, Fundraising and social events for the school community. The PA is also consulted by the Board of Management on School Policies. It meets monthly and elects its officers annually at its AGM in November.

The Patron

The school Patron is a company whose legal basis obliges it to operate schools that guarantee equality of access and esteem to children irrespective of the social, cultural or religious background. All parents are invited to join the Patron. An Executive committee of the Patron is elected at its annual general meeting.

Educate Together

Educate Together is the representative organisation of all Educate Together schools in the country. Each school may send four representatives to each General Member's Meetings/National Fora organised by Educate Together. The Parent Association will be invited to send one representative to each meeting. Other parents may be sent from the BOM or the Patron.

Ratified by the BOM of Griffith Barracks Multi Denominational School - November 2007.

Download the Parental Involvement form

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